Wrench



Oct. 9, 1945. M. J. D: GRAW WRENCH Filed Oct. 19, 1943 Iiwentor Eu a-El Patented Oct. 9, 1945 I WRENCH Moroni J. DeGIr-aw, Boise, Idaho Application October 19, 1943, Serial No. 506,875 1 exam. (01. 81-179) My invention relates to improvements in wrenches of the self-gripping type, the principal object in view being to provide a simply con-' structed, inexpensive wrench of few parts for gripping round work, such as bolts, pipe, and which will tighten against the work under operation of, the wrench in one direction and release the work under operation in the opposite direction, all with a ratchet-like action.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, all of which, togetherwith the precise nature of my improvements, will ther enlarged scale, and

Figure is a view in elevation of the comple- I 6 mental jaw.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, my improved wrench, as shown, comprises a hollow handle I of any suitabledesign and a hookshaped head 2 on one of the handles coplanar therewith and including a beak 3, extending transversely of the axis of the handle. The

handle I forms therein a transversely rectangular, axial guideway 4 and is provided adjacent the head 2 with side slots 5 opening out of said guideway.

A'bar-like shank 6 is fitted in the guideway 4 for endwise adjustment into and out of the. head 2 to correspondingly adjust a' plate-like jaw I fixed on one end of the shank and which is curved in the plane of the head 2 and provided with a ratchet toothed workingjace. Teeth 8 on the edges of the shank 6. and a knurled internally threaded nut 9 circumscribing the shank 6 and confined in theslots 5, to extend out of the same, provide for adjusting said shank 6.

Opposed to the-jaw I is a complemental, elongated jaw I0 of bar-like form mounted in the beak 3 at the inner side thereof for endwise sliding movement in a common plane with the jaw I. For mounting the same, said jaw is'provided with a dovetailed, longitudinal guide rib I I on one side thereof fitting in a correspondingly shaped, lonelevationrof my imgitudinal guideway I2 in the inner face of the beak'3. The guideway I2 inclines inwardly of the head 2, transversely of the axis of the handle I and shank 6, and the jaw I0 is provided with a curved ratchet toothed working face, so that when the wrench is applied to a piece of work, such as a pipe, with the jaws I, I0 gripping the same, and said wrench is turned inOne direction. i. e., counter-clockwise, as viewed in Figures 1 and 3, said jaw I II will tend to slide outwardly of the head 2 and be cammed by-the guideway I0 into the work to tighten the grip of the jaws I, I0 against the work. A set screw I3 in the beak 3 extending into a longitudinal slot I4 in the uide rib. I I limits such outward sliding of the jaw ID.

The head 2 is provided in the back thereof with a channel I5 parallel substantially with the handle I and opening at its front end into the guideway I2. A leaf spring I6 fixed at one end, asat H, in said channel I5 is extended at its free end into a slot I8 provided in a post I9 extending from one end of the jaw 40 into said channel I5. The spring I6 tends to urge the post I 8- and jaw Ill outwardly of the head 2 and thus, tighten the jaw I0 against a piece of work to which said jaws I, I0 may be fitted approximately.

A bar-like jaw release lever 20 is pivoted, as at'ZI, in said channel I5 with one end bearing against the leaf spring I6 adjacent the free end of the same, and its other end extending rearwardly out of said channel I 5 and head 2, and for manipulation toward the handle I by the thumb or finger of an operator to flex said spring in a direction causing the same to slide the jaw I0 inwardly of the head 2 into releasing position.

As will be clear, under turning of the" wrench in opposite directions about a piece of work to which it is applied, the jaw I0 will grip and release the work with a ratchet-like action, and the wrench may be released from the work by merely pressing the release lever 20 with the thumb or finger.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

' Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In a wrench of the class described, a hollow handle forming an axial guideway therein, a hook-shaped head at one end of the handle into which said guideway opens and embodying a beak traversing the axis of the handle, a shank in said guideway having a transverse elongated jaw fast on one end thereof within said head, said shank bein slidable in said guideway to adjust said jaw toward and from said beak in the axis of the handle, an elongated bar-like jaw in said beak opposed to said first jaw and slidable endwise inwardly and outwardly of said head in an inclined guideway lengthwise of the first jaw, a spring in said head attached to said second jaw MoRoNI J': DE GRAW. 

